Bloodson and the Valyrian Arrows
by Ca11umism
Summary: Set during the course of the books, this is a story of Rae Bloodson, a strange boy Eddard Stark came across on his journey from Winterfell to King's Landing, and how his actions effect the entire realm of Westeros and the war of the five kings.


**-EDDARD-**

Northern mornings were something Eddard Stark was used to. From the Wall, past Winterfell, and for a good hundred thousand leagues South, each day was more or less the same. Dew would always cover the grass, mist would always cloud the air, and with each breath, his lungs would be drowned in a mixture of the two, sending a horrid chill through his bones.

But he was a northman. Ice was in his blood. And he'd gotten used to it.

It had been three weeks since they'd ventured from Winterfell towards King's Landing. Three weeks since he'd last ruffled Rickon's hair, three weeks since he'd sparred with Robb and Jon, three weeks since he'd held Bran's hand as the boy lay unconscious in bed, praying his son would wake, and three weeks since he'd felt his lady Catelyn's lips upon his own.

In all his years, Ned had never thought he'd spend this much time away from his family. He still had Arya and Sansa of course, and he was grateful for it, but there was still a part of him that longed for his home, for the laughs of his boys as they wrestled together, and for the touch of his lady love as she embraced him.

His duty as Hand of the king had kept him busy though, and with each day, he had been having less and less of those longing thoughts.

He'd been sent for by King Robert just after dawn to deal with a matter the King himself believed to be too busy for. A scouting party looking over the lands around their convoy had found a young man travelling alongside them, less than three leagues east of the Kingsroad. At first thought, Ned had believed him to be a deserter from the Night's Watch, but report from Jory Cassel had indicated otherwise.

He found the scouting party resting by a brook near on two hours from the Kingsroad. Jory himself stood over the traveler's possessions, studying one of the man's arrowheads as he approached. "Morning M'lord," he called as Ned climbed down from his saddle. "Quite a little treasure trove we seem to have found." He handed Ned the arrow he was studying.

Ned looked at the arrow. Pure white swan feathers ran up the shaft, and the head seemed to be crafted from..."Valyrian steel," he muttered. "T-that's impossible." he ran the tip with his finger, and winced immediately as it pierced his skin.

"There are two others just like that one," Jory pointed to a quiver lying in the grass as Ned stuck his bleeding finger in his mouth. "The rest are duck feathers and folded steel.

"And his blade?," Ned nodded to a sword to the left of Jory, sheathed in a maroon leather scabbard stitched with gold threads.

Jory took the grip in one hand and the sheath in the other. "Valyrian steel." the blade glimmered in the early morning sunlight. "Well made, isn't it?" he held up for Ned to look at. The pommel was a polished bronze wisp of fire, the cross-guard two waved spikes on each side of the blade. The grip seemed to be an extremely soft looking leather, untarnished by dirt and sweat. The blade itself was indeed Valyrian steel, pale black marks spotting it front cross-guard to tip, as if the blade had been set alight.

"Where could a deserter gain a blade like this?" he asked, taking the grip from his guard and giving it a wave.

"As the messenger told you, I don't think he's from the watch." Jory stood and watched Ned swing the blade, then took it back and sheathed it again. "He claims to just be a traveler come down from the Iron islands, on his way to King's landing."

Jory, still holding the sheathed sword, lead Ned over to the brook, where a pike-man stood resting on his weapon, watching an ebony haired man wash his face in the clear water. "M'lord," the pike-man bowed as Ned and Jory walked by him. The traveler pulled his head from the water and sat on his backside on the bank, pulling his chin length black hair behind his ears and looking up at them.

"Stand for the Hand of the King," Jory demanded, gripping the young man's arm and pulling him to his feet.

It was then that Ned really saw the boy for the first time. He was far younger than Ned had expected, no older than sixteen. His hair was even darker than Ned's, and messily trailed down the back of his neck, a few loose strands slipping from their place behind his right ear. His face was incredibly pale, as if he'd not seen daylight in months, and the faintest shadow of grizzly stubble haunted his chin and lower cheek. But, what really got his attention was the boy's eyes. They were an incredible violet colour, specked with what seemed to be gold.

"Where did you get this sword?...and the arrows over there?" he asked, trying to be polite even though he had no reason to.

"It's my sword," he said, shaking off Jory's grip from his upper arm and giving the knight a bitter look. "And the arrows too."

"A sword like this could only belong to a head house. I don't suppose you're highborn are you?"

The boy watched him for a moment, then shook his head. "It's from the battle at the trident...My father died there."

Ned furrowed his brow. He himself was at the trident during Robert's rebellion. "I...I'm sorry to hear that...I'm sure he died bravely." the boy barely acknowledged his sincerity. "What's your name?"

The traveler shot another quick glance at Jory, then licked his bottom lip. "Rae...My name's Rae Bloodson"

"Why didn't you join up with the king and his caravan?"

"Because there are thieves that join caravans...I didn't want to have to kill someone under the king's watch." The boy seemed to be frustrated with the questioning. It didn't matter to Ned of course, the boy was under law to answer his questions, but usually lowborn people were nervous to talk to a lord, let alone the hand of the king. But this boy had no fear in his face at all, in fact, it was more of an arrogance. It was fascinating to him.

"Would you kill a man under the king's protection?"

Rae looked to Jory Cassel then back to Ned. "If he were to steal from me."

"No, I mean would you kill a man when _you_ are under the king's protection?"

The boy shook his head slowly. "Would anyone steal from me?"

"No."

"Then you have your answer..._My lord_." adding the last part when Jory Cassel gave him a firm look.

"Then perhaps you would like to join me as a personal guest of the King's Hand?," He said after a moments deliberation. Rae Bloodson gave him a very queer look. "I can assure you that there is not a man alive who would dare risk stealing from the King's Hand."

"Okay."

Ned smiled and gestured for the sword in Jory's hand. "Here you are," he said, taking the blade and handing it too Rae, who took it cautiously. "Don't stab me with it, hmm?. I've got far too little time on my hands for a stab wound." Rae Bloodson smirked, and Ned gestured for him to follow.

**A/N:** _okay, so there was the first chapter. I thought I say that I've only read up to 'Blood and Gold', so as long as I'm on that book, that'll be as far as I'll write. Leave reviews if you liked or disliked, I wanna know both ways. Thanks._


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